Jet-setter Jennifer Niejadlik shares this story of a recent trip to lovely Lake Garda, Italy.

A recent road trip led us to Lake Garda, Italy. We stayed three days in the country side 30 minutes outside Verona beside Lake Garda and the Alps in Palazzo Arzaga Hotel Spa and golf resort. My fiancé took advantage of the PGA quality golf course. The first 18 holes, Arzaga I, were designed by Jack Nicklaus II. While he was out on the green, I relaxed at the spa with an aroma oil massage and an exfoliant glycolic bio-treatment facial. The service of this 5 star hotel was nothing but top quality. The hotel itself was built in the 15^th century and once was a monastery. The stone detail of this historical building was museum quality. Each morning we awoke to the chirping of small birds on our windowsill and enjoyed a traditional Italian buffet breakfast of thinly sliced meats, cheese, and fruit, in the cobblestone center courtyard.

Lake Garda is Italy’s largest lake and was created by glaciations. Garda is an ideal spot for windsurfing and sailing. It hosts famous regattas such as the Centomiglia. 

One evening we drove to the small inlet harbor island town of Sirmione. There we took in the local sights of the grand castle, Rocca Scaligera. It was built by Mastino I della Scala in the 13^th century. Once through the tower and battlements of the castle we walked around the center town square. The square was lined with tiny boutique shops and restaurants with terraces where we enjoyed a gastronomic meal of duck risotto, local wine and farm fresh cheeses for desert.

Another evening we sat right on the edge of Lake Garda at restaurant Arpege in Desenzano. There we enjoyed a mix of seafood such as a salted Branzino, and fried smelt white fish and shrimps. Again a choice of local wine was like discovering new taste buds. This restaurant was decorated in a way to ignite romance. Outside there was a beautiful fountain and a gazebo. Inside there was another fountain flowing right down one of the marble walls like a waterfall. The restaurant was newly open and treated its customers to a specially priced menu where none of the fine cooked cuisine was priced more than 14 euro. A walkway beyond the garden terrace led right to Lake Garda itself. This restaurant would be an ideal place to host a wedding reception.

In the heart of the Desenzano center is Piazza Malvezzi. It is home to an antique market known for its silverware and prints.

On the road again we spent the majority of the rest of our two week vacation in the South of France with day trips to neighboring towns outside Cannes. One day we drove to Monaco and took in what I like to call the ultimate car show with the entire lot of Ferrari’s, Porches, and Rolls Royce’s outside the Monte Carlo. Ventimiglia is just over the border and we couldn’t resist fresh baked Italian pastries, a canola and mid afternoon cappuccino. This small Italian town is known for its open market on Fridays and Saturdays.

If you are heading to Italy for a summer vacation, Lake Garda and its surrounding towns are a must see.